Has Pizza Peaked? Domino's Chief Executive Steps Down Following Move Towards Fried Chicken.
A head of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while expanding the franchise into fried chicken has been removed after conflicts with its governing body.
Executive Shake-Up
Andrew Rennie is leaving after only 24 months in charge, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO.
Rennie, who served at Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to pivot Britain's largest pizza takeaway chain towards chicken offerings, stating in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the UK's pizza market. He noted poultry was the quickest rising menu item in the globe.
Board Tensions
It is understood that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his strategy and direction, although Domino's release said he was departing “as a joint decision”.
Recent Product Launch
In September, Domino's launched its chicken-focused brand – which Rennie referred to as a “bold new chapter” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and Northern Ireland.
While the business is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores in 2026 as planned, it regards fried chicken as a supplement for its core pizza business.
Leadership Statement
Bull, the company chair, commented: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to enhance value and value creation in our primary operations. We are focused on selecting the ideal CEO to lead the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”
Market Difficulties
In the latest update, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said orders dipped by 1.5% in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it blamed economic uncertainty in the run-up to the budget and higher payroll outlays for below-target performance and a significant fall in six-month income.
Other pizza operators are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the business behind its outlets faced financial collapse.
Health Initiatives
Adapting to customer preferences towards balanced diets, the company has launched light products, such as its light base selection of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as vegan and wheat-free options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a personal has 909 calories.
Interim Leadership
Nicola Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and was formerly with the betting firm William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to assume the top job on a full-time basis.
She said: “We have a multiple current expansion and performance initiatives that we will be focused on implementing at a rapid rate.”
Frampton noted these comprised further work on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its customer retention initiative.
The pizza chain is also without a long-term CFO until the spring, when Andrea starts from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. In the meantime, Snow is temporary CFO.
