The head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while broadening the franchise into poultry items has been removed after conflicts with its directors.
Rennie is departing after only 24 months in leadership, and will be succeeded on an interim basis by the organization's operations head, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.
The outgoing executive, who was with Domino's for more than two decades, had attempted to pivot the UK's largest pizza delivery company towards fried chicken, remarking earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He noted poultry was the quickest rising protein in the globe.
It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the directors over his approach and business vision, although the company's official statement said he was stepping down “through mutual consent”.
In September, the chain launched its chicken-focused offering – which Rennie called a “major strategic shift” for the organization – and is piloting it in 210 outlets in the north-west of England and the province.
While the business is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it views chicken products as an addition to its core pizza business.
Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, said: “Directors think that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and performance improvement in our primary operations. We are concentrating on finding the right chief executive to direct the systematic rollout of that development approach.”
In the latest update, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said transactions declined by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed reduced spending in the lead-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a 15% drop in interim earnings.
Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the closure of 68 restaurants a last month, after the company behind its outlets entered insolvency.
Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has introduced lower-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 calories.
Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gaming group a well-known operator. It is thought that she is not seeking to take on the CEO position long-term.
Frampton stated: “The company has a several current development and performance initiatives that we will be dedicated to carrying out at a rapid rate.”
Frampton noted these comprised further work on the company's logistics network and menu innovation, and its loyalty scheme.
Domino's is also without a long-term CFO until 16 March, when Andy Andrea comes aboard from the drinks company C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow acts as interim finance chief.
