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A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while diversifying the company into chicken products has been removed after disagreements with its board.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is exiting after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a long-term chief.

Rennie, who served at Domino's for over 20 years, had sought to shift Britain's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, stating recently there was not “massive growth” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the world.

Board Tensions

It is understood that there was disagreement between the CEO and the governance team over his focus and management style, although the company's announcement said he was leaving “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Launch

In September, the chain introduced its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the North West region and the province.

While the firm is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores next year as planned, it considers chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Comment

Bull, the company chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and value creation in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on identifying the right chief executive to lead the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, Domino's, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it warned that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it blamed reduced spending in the lead-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for below-target performance and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Competitors are also struggling. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of multiple locations a last month, after the company behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino's has introduced lower-calorie items, such as its light base line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A large cheese and tomato pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she does not want to occupy the chief executive role long-term.

She commented: “We have a multiple ongoing growth and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on implementing at a rapid rate.”

She added these involved additional efforts on the organization's logistics network and new item creation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent CFO until March 16, when Andrea comes aboard from the drinks company a well-known firm. Until then, Richard Snow acts as temporary CFO.