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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit peak pizza while expanding the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after tensions with its board.

Leadership Change

Rennie is leaving after only 24 months in leadership, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

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

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between the CEO and the board over his focus and business vision, although Domino's official statement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Launch

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip product line – which Rennie called a “significant new phase” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the company is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as scheduled, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.

Board Comment

Bull, the company chair, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and performance improvement in Domino's core business. We are focused on selecting the ideal CEO to direct the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said transactions dipped by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In August, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed reduced spending in the period before the budget and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut revealed the shutting of dozens of outlets a recently, after the business behind its outlets fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards healthier eating, the company has rolled out lower-calorie products, such as its thin-crust range of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and wheat-free pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171, while a small has 909 kcal.

Acting Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she does not want to occupy the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

Frampton stated: “The company has a several ongoing development and performance initiatives that we will be focused on implementing at a rapid rate.”

She said these involved ongoing development on the company's procurement system and menu innovation, and its rewards program.

The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent finance director until 16 March, when Andrea joins from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as temporary CFO.