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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while diversifying the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after tensions with its directors.

Executive Change

Andrew Rennie is departing after just two years in leadership, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who worked for the company for a substantial period, had sought to redirect Britain's largest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, stating in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He said chicken was the most rapidly expanding food category in the international market.

Board Disagreements

It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his strategy and business vision, although the company's announcement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

New Brand Launch

In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the group – and is trialling it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its core pizza business.

Leadership Comment

Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and profitability in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on selecting the ideal CEO to oversee the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the UK and Ireland, said orders fell by 1.5% in the Q3. In the summer, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain revealed the shutting of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the firm behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards better nutrition, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie products, such as its light base selection of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she prefers not to take on the chief executive role permanently.

She said: “We have a number of ongoing growth and efficiency programs that we will be focused on executing at speed.”

She added these comprised ongoing development on the company's procurement system and product development, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also without a permanent CFO until March 16, when a new appointee comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. For now, Snow is interim finance chief.