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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit pizza saturation while broadening the chain into chicken products has been ousted after disagreements with its directors.

Executive Transition

Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who served at the company for more than two decades, had aimed to shift the UK's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards fried chicken, remarking in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He said poultry was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Board Tensions

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

New Product Introduction

In September, Domino's launched its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which the former chief called a “bold new chapter” for the organization – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the North West region and the province.

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

Leadership Comment

Ian Bull, the company chairman, commented: “We are confident that there are a number of opportunities to boost expansion and profitability in our primary operations. We are prioritizing identifying the suitable leader to lead the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales dipped by one and a half percent in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Other pizza operators are also struggling. Pizza Hut announced the closure of dozens of outlets a last month, after the business behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Health Efforts

Trying to keep up with consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched light items, such as its Thin & Crispy range of pizzas below 400 calories as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a personal has 909 kcal.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and previously worked for the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she does not want to occupy the CEO position permanently.

Frampton stated: “We have a several ongoing development and operational projects that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.”

Frampton noted these included additional efforts on the organization's logistics network and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.

Domino's is also without a permanent finance director until the spring, when a new appointee joins from the drinks company C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow is temporary CFO.