🔗 Share this article

The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have reached pizza saturation while broadening the chain into chicken products has been removed after conflicts with its governing body.

Leadership Transition

Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be replaced on an temporary basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's looks for a new leader.

Rennie, who worked for the company for a substantial period, had aimed to redirect Britain's largest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, stating in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He said poultry was the most rapidly expanding food category in the international market.

Governance Friction

Reports indicate that there was tension between Rennie and the board over his focus and direction, although Domino's announcement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.

New Brand Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its chicken-focused brand – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is piloting it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it considers chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and profitability in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing identifying the right chief executive to oversee the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Industry Challenges

Recently, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the lead-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15 percent decline in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Another major chain disclosed the shutting of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the company behind its outlets faced financial collapse.

Wellness Efforts

Responding to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has rolled out light items, such as its thin-crust line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as vegan and gluten-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a small has 909 kcal.

Interim Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to occupy the top job permanently.

She said: “Our team has a number of current expansion and operational projects that we will be dedicated to carrying out at pace.”

She said these comprised additional efforts on the organization's logistics network and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also lacking a long-term chief financial officer until 16 March, when Andrea starts from the beverage producer a well-known firm. Until then, Snow acts as acting financial officer.