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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while expanding the franchise into chicken products has been ousted after disagreements with its board.

Executive Shake-Up

Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's seeks a long-term chief.

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for a substantial period, had attempted to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, remarking recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed chicken was the most rapidly expanding food category in the world.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his approach and direction, although the company's release said he was departing “by mutual agreement”.

New Brand Introduction

In September, the chain launched its chicken-focused brand – which the former chief referred to as a “significant new phase” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still intending to launch it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it considers chicken products as complementary to its primary pizza operations.

Board Statement

Bull, the Domino's chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are prioritizing selecting the ideal CEO to direct the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said transactions declined by one and a half percent in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the shutting of multiple locations a last month, after the company behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards better nutrition, Domino's has rolled out light options, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and wheat-free options. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 calories.

Acting Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is thought that she is not seeking to occupy the CEO position on a full-time basis.

Frampton stated: “Our team has a multiple ongoing growth and operational projects that we will be focused on implementing at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these comprised additional efforts on the company's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent CFO until March 16, when Andy Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. Until then, Snow serves as temporary CFO.