Peak Pizza? Domino's Pizza Leader Exits Following Move Towards Chicken.

A head of Domino's Pizza Group who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while expanding the franchise into fried chicken has been ousted after conflicts with its board.

Executive Change

Andrew Rennie is exiting after just two years in charge, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the company's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's looks for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who worked for Domino's for a substantial period, had attempted to pivot Britain's biggest pizza food delivery firm towards chicken offerings, remarking earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing menu item in the international market.

Board Tensions

Sources suggest that there was tension between Rennie and the governance team over his focus and management style, although the company's release said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.

New Brand Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its chicken-focused offering – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in 210 outlets 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 regards fried chicken as an addition to its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Comment

Bull, the Domino's chairman, commented: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to enhance value and value creation in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on identifying the right chief executive to oversee the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it cautioned that the food delivery sector had “grown more challenging” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also struggling. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a recently, after the firm behind its UK venues faced financial collapse.

Health Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has introduced lower-calorie products, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 calories as well as meat-free and gluten-free pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A big margherita has 2,171, while a personal has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she prefers not to take on the top job permanently.

She commented: “We have a number of current development and operational projects that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

She added these involved ongoing development on the company's procurement system and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also in need of a permanent CFO until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company C&C Group. Until then, Snow acts as temporary CFO.