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The chief executive of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have reached peak pizza while expanding the company into poultry items has been ousted after tensions with its governing body.

Executive Shake-Up

Andrew Rennie is exiting after just two years in charge, and will be replaced on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a new leader.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for a substantial period, had aimed to redirect Britain's leading pizza food delivery firm towards poultry-based products, commenting earlier this month there was not “massive growth” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing food category in the globe.

Board Disagreements

It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the directors over his focus and direction, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain launched its poultry product line – which the former chief called a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is piloting it in over 200 locations in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the firm is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as planned, it views chicken products as complementary to its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, said: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to boost expansion and profitability in our primary operations. We are concentrating on finding the suitable leader to lead the disciplined execution of that development approach.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said orders dipped by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “intensified” as it attributed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the government announcement and increasing labor expenses for disappointing revenue and a significant fall in six-month income.

Rival chains are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a last month, after the firm behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Efforts

Trying to keep up with market shifts towards balanced diets, the company has launched reduced-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and wheat-free options. A family-sized pepperoni has over 2,300 kcal. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Interim Leadership

The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and had a background at the gambling company William Hill. It is understood that she prefers not to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She said: “We have a multiple current expansion and efficiency programs that we will be focused on implementing at a rapid rate.”

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

The pizza chain is also without a full-time finance director until March 16, when a new appointee joins from the beverage producer a well-known firm. Until then, Snow is acting financial officer.