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A boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached maximum pizza demand while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its governing body.

Executive Transition

Rennie is exiting after a brief tenure in leadership, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the company's operations head, Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a new leader.

Rennie, who was with the company for more than two decades, had aimed to redirect Britain's biggest pizza delivery company towards fried chicken, commenting in a recent interview there was not “significant expansion” left in the UK's pizza market. He said poultry was the quickest rising menu item in the globe.

Board Friction

Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his approach and direction, although the company's official statement said he was stepping down “by mutual agreement”.

New Product Introduction

In the autumn, the chain unveiled its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which Rennie called a “bold new chapter” for the group – and is trialling it in select stores in the North West region and the province.

While the business is still intending to launch it across its nearly 1,400 branches next year as scheduled, it considers chicken products as a supplement for its core pizza business.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to drive further growth and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are prioritizing selecting the right chief executive to oversee the careful implementation of that development approach.”

Market Challenges

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said transactions declined by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Another major chain disclosed the shutting of 68 restaurants a last month, after the company behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to market shifts towards healthier eating, the company has rolled out reduced-calorie options, such as its Thin & Crispy range of bakes below 400 calories as well as vegan and allergy-friendly pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a small has under 1,000 calories.

Acting Leadership

Frampton has been with the company since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm William Hill. It is thought that she does not want to take on the CEO position long-term.

Frampton stated: “The company has a several ongoing growth and efficiency programs that we will be concentrating on carrying out at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these involved additional efforts on the organization's procurement system and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.

The pizza chain is also lacking a full-time CFO until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker a well-known firm. Until then, Snow serves as temporary CFO.