Pizza Market Saturation? Domino's Pizza Chief Executive Steps Down Following Move Towards Fried Chicken.

The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit maximum pizza demand while broadening the franchise into poultry items has been ousted after tensions with its directors.

Leadership Transition

Rennie is exiting after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's seeks a permanent CEO.

Rennie, who worked for Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, commenting earlier this month there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the world.

Board Tensions

It is understood that there was tension between Rennie and the board over his focus and direction, although the company's announcement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

Recent Brand Introduction

In September, the chain introduced its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief called a “significant new phase” for the group – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and the province.

While the business is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in 2026 as planned, it regards fried chicken as complementary to its primary pizza operations.

Leadership Statement

The Domino's chair, the Domino's chair, said: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and value creation in Domino's core business. We are focused on identifying the ideal CEO to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”

Industry Challenges

Earlier this month, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said orders fell by one and a half percent in the third quarter. In the summer, it warned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it attributed reduced spending in the period before the budget and rising wage costs for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in six-month income.

Competitors are also facing challenges. Another major chain announced the closure of 68 restaurants a month ago, after the firm behind its British operations entered insolvency.

Wellness Efforts

Adapting to customer preferences towards healthier eating, the company has introduced lower-calorie items, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 calories as well as vegan and gluten-free pizzas. 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.

Acting Management

The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and was formerly with the gambling company William Hill. It is understood that she is not seeking to assume the top job on a full-time basis.

She said: “We have a number of ongoing growth and operational projects that we will be dedicated to executing at speed.”

She said these comprised further work on the company's supply chain and product development, and its customer retention initiative.

The pizza chain is also without a long-term chief financial officer until the spring, when Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. For now, Richard Snow acts as interim finance chief.