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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit maximum pizza demand while expanding the chain into poultry items has been replaced after conflicts with its governing body.

Executive Shake-Up

The former CEO is leaving after only 24 months in the top role, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who was with Domino's for over 20 years, had sought to pivot Britain's biggest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, stating recently there was not “huge potential” left in the British pizza industry. He noted poultry was the fastest-growing menu item in the globe.

Board Tensions

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between the CEO and the board over his strategy and direction, although Domino's announcement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

New Brand Launch

In September, Domino's launched its poultry product line – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.

While the business is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as intended, it regards chicken products as an addition to its primary pizza operations.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the company chair, said: “The board believes that there are a number of opportunities to enhance value and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are focused on finding the suitable leader to lead the systematic rollout of that expansion plan.”

Industry Difficulties

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said sales fell by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed reduced spending in the lead-up to the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the closing of multiple locations a month ago, after the firm behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards healthier eating, the company has launched lower-calorie options, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 calories as well as vegan and gluten-free pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 calories.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She said: “We have a several ongoing development and operational projects that we will be concentrating on executing at speed.”

Frampton noted these included ongoing development on the company's logistics network and new item creation, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also lacking a long-term CFO until the spring, when a new appointee comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Snow is temporary CFO.