🔗 Share this article

The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the UK might have hit peak pizza while diversifying the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after tensions with its directors.

Leadership Shake-Up

Rennie is departing after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a long-term chief.

Rennie, who served at the company for a substantial period, had aimed to shift the UK's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, remarking in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He said poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the globe.

Governance Tensions

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the governance team over his strategy and direction, although Domino's release said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its poultry brand – which the former chief described as a “major strategic shift” for the group – and is testing it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as scheduled, it considers fried chicken as an addition to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the company chairman, said: “The board believes that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are focused on finding the right chief executive to direct the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it warned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it attributed reduced spending in the lead-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in interim earnings.

Competitors are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of multiple locations a recently, after the firm behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched lower-calorie items, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Leadership

The interim chief has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the betting firm a well-known operator. It is thought that she does not want to occupy the chief executive role permanently.

Frampton stated: “Our team has a number of current development and operational projects that we will be dedicated to executing at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these involved additional efforts on the company's supply chain and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also lacking a permanent chief financial officer until March 16, when a new appointee comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. Until then, Snow is temporary CFO.