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A boss of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have reached peak pizza while broadening the franchise into poultry items has been removed after conflicts with its directors.

Leadership Shake-Up

Rennie is departing after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who served at the company for more than two decades, had attempted to pivot the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed chicken was the quickest rising food category in the globe.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was friction between Rennie and the governance team over his approach and management style, although the company's release said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

New Brand Launch

In September, the chain unveiled its poultry offering – which the former chief referred to as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still intending to launch it across its almost 1,400 stores in the coming year as intended, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its core pizza business.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the company chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and profitability in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on identifying the ideal CEO to oversee the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In August, it warned that the quick-service industry had “intensified” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut disclosed the closing of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the firm behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Health Efforts

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards balanced diets, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its thin-crust range of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as plant-based and wheat-free options. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and previously worked for the gambling company a well-known operator. It is understood that she is not seeking to take on the CEO position permanently.

She commented: “The company has a several active growth and operational projects that we will be dedicated to carrying out at speed.”

She added these comprised further work on the company's procurement system and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a full-time chief financial officer until the spring, when a new appointee joins from the beverage producer C&C Group. In the meantime, Richard Snow is temporary CFO.