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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while broadening the franchise into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its governing body.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is exiting after only 24 months in leadership, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for a substantial period, had sought to shift Britain's largest pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, remarking earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the most rapidly expanding food category in the international market.

Governance Tensions

It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his focus and management style, although the company's release said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Brand Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is piloting it in select stores in the north-west of England and the province.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it considers fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the suitable leader to oversee the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said transactions fell by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the closure of dozens of outlets a recently, after the firm behind its outlets entered insolvency.

Health Efforts

Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, Domino's has launched light products, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 calories.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she does not want to occupy the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She said: “Our team has a several current growth and performance initiatives that we will be focused on carrying out at pace.”

Frampton noted these involved further work on the organization's supply chain and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also lacking a long-term CFO until the spring, when Andy Andrea starts from the beverage producer C&C Group. In the meantime, Richard Snow serves as interim finance chief.