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The boss of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the franchise into chicken products has been ousted after tensions with its board.

Executive Transition

Andrew Rennie is leaving after only 24 months in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's searches for a permanent CEO.

The outgoing executive, who was with the company for a substantial period, had sought to pivot Britain's leading pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, commenting recently there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He observed chicken was the quickest rising food category in the globe.

Board Disagreements

Reports indicate that there was friction between the CEO and the governance team over his approach and direction, although Domino's announcement said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, Domino's introduced its poultry offering – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the group – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.

While the business is still planning to expand it across its extensive network next year as planned, it views fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Leadership Statement

Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and performance improvement in the main pizza segment. We are focused on identifying the suitable leader to oversee the careful implementation of that expansion plan.”

Market Difficulties

Recently, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said orders declined by 1.5% in the third quarter. In the summer, it alerted that the food delivery sector had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the government announcement and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also struggling. Another major chain revealed the closing of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the firm behind its outlets fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched lower-calorie items, such as its light base range of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly pizzas. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A big margherita has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 kcal.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the gambling company a well-known operator. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the chief executive role long-term.

She commented: “The company has a several ongoing development and operational projects that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

She said these comprised ongoing development on the company's supply chain and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also without a long-term CFO until the spring, when a new appointee joins from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. In the meantime, Richard Snow serves as temporary CFO.