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A head of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while broadening the chain into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its board.

Leadership Change

Andrew Rennie is departing after only 24 months in leadership, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a new leader.

Rennie, who was with Domino's for over 20 years, had sought to redirect Britain's biggest pizza delivery company towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted poultry was the quickest rising food category in the international market.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was friction between Rennie and the directors over his strategy and direction, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Launch

In September, the chain unveiled its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief referred to as a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is piloting it in select stores in the north-west of England and the province.

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

Board Comment

Bull, the company chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and profitability in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing selecting the right chief executive to direct the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Market Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said sales fell by 1.5 percent in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “intensified” as it attributed reduced spending in the period before the government announcement and rising wage costs for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the company behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards better nutrition, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie products, such as its thin-crust selection of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has 2,171, while a personal has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and had a background at the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She commented: “The company has a several ongoing development and efficiency programs that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.”

She said these involved further work on the organization's logistics network and new item creation, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also in need of a long-term chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company C&C Group. Until then, Snow is acting financial officer.