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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who proposed the United Kingdom might have reached peak pizza while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its directors.

Executive Transition

Andrew Rennie is departing after a brief tenure in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while Domino's searches for a long-term chief.

The outgoing executive, who served at Domino's for more than two decades, had attempted to shift the UK's leading pizza takeaway chain towards fried chicken, stating earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed poultry was the most rapidly expanding menu item in the international market.

Governance Friction

Sources suggest that there was tension between the CEO and the board over his focus and direction, although Domino's release said he was leaving “as a joint decision”.

Recent Product Launch

In September, Domino's introduced its Chick 'N' Dip brand – which the former chief referred to as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is testing it in select stores in the North West region and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still going to roll it out across its almost 1,400 stores in the coming year as planned, it views chicken products as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Board Comment

Ian Bull, the Domino's chairman, said: “We are confident that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and profitability in our primary operations. We are prioritizing selecting the right chief executive to direct the systematic rollout of that development approach.”

Industry Difficulties

In the latest update, the pizza delivery giant, which has millions of users in the British Isles, said orders fell by one and a half percent in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “become tougher” as it blamed reduced spending in the run-up to the budget and increasing labor expenses for weaker-than-expected sales and a significant fall in interim earnings.

Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut disclosed the closure of multiple locations a last month, after the business behind its UK venues fell into administration.

Wellness Initiatives

Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards balanced diets, Domino's has launched reduced-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy line of pizzas below 400 kcal as well as vegan and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has 2,171, while a individual has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Nicola Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the betting firm a well-known operator. It is understood that she is not seeking to occupy the chief executive role on a full-time basis.

She said: “Our team has a several current expansion and operational projects that we will be concentrating on executing at a rapid rate.”

Frampton noted these comprised further work on the organization's procurement system and product development, and its rewards program.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time chief financial officer until 16 March, when a new appointee comes aboard from the drinks company a well-known firm. In the meantime, Snow acts as acting financial officer.