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A chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the UK might have reached peak pizza while expanding the chain into chicken products has been removed after tensions with its board.

Leadership Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in charge, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to pivot Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He said chicken was the most rapidly expanding food category in the world.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between Rennie and the governance team over his focus and direction, although Domino's release said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In September, the chain launched its poultry product line – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it considers fried chicken as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chairman, commented: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to drive further growth and profitability in our primary operations. We are concentrating on selecting the suitable leader to oversee the disciplined execution of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Recently, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said sales declined by 1.5 percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it warned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it attributed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Competitors are also struggling. Another major chain disclosed the closing of multiple locations a last month, after the business behind its outlets fell into administration.

Health Initiatives

Adapting to consumer trends towards better nutrition, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcals as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has over 2,300 kcal. A large cheese and tomato pizza has over 2,100, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she prefers not to assume the top job long-term.

She said: “The company has a multiple ongoing development and operational projects that we will be dedicated to implementing at speed.”

She said these included additional efforts on the company's procurement system and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also in need of a long-term CFO until 16 March, when Andy Andrea comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. For now, Snow serves as acting financial officer.