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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while diversifying the chain into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its board.

Leadership Change

The former CEO is leaving after only 24 months in leadership, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a new leader.

Rennie, who served at Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to redirect the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, remarking in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the British pizza industry. He said poultry was the fastest-growing food category in the world.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his focus and management style, although Domino's announcement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its Chick 'N' Dip product line – which the former chief called a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it considers fried chicken as complementary to its primary pizza operations.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the company chairman, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on selecting the right chief executive to direct the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Rival chains are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the shutting of 68 restaurants a recently, after the business behind its outlets fell into administration.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its light base line of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has 2,171, while a small has 909 kcal.

Interim Leadership

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the betting firm a well-known operator. It is believed that she prefers not to assume the top job permanently.

Frampton stated: “We have a several current development and performance initiatives that we will be focused on carrying out at speed.”

She added these comprised further work on the organization's procurement system and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also without a full-time chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andrea starts from the beverage producer C&C Group. Until then, Richard Snow serves as temporary CFO.