A boss of Domino's Pizza Group who proposed the United Kingdom might have hit pizza saturation while broadening the franchise into fried chicken has been replaced after disagreements with its governing body.
Andrew Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while Domino's seeks a long-term chief.
Rennie, who was with Domino's for a substantial period, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, stating in a recent interview there was not “huge potential” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed chicken was the fastest-growing menu item in the international market.
It is understood that there was disagreement between the CEO and the governance team over his approach and management style, although Domino's official statement said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.
In the autumn, Domino's unveiled its chicken-focused offering – which the former chief called a “major strategic shift” for the company – and is testing it in 210 outlets in the North West region and the province.
While the company is still planning to expand it across its extensive network in the coming year as planned, it considers fried chicken as a supplement for its primary pizza operations.
Bull, the company chair, said: “The board believes that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and value creation in Domino's core business. We are concentrating on finding the ideal CEO to oversee the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”
In the latest update, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the UK and Ireland, said transactions declined by 1.5% in the third quarter. In the summer, it cautioned that the takeaway market had “intensified” as it blamed weaker consumer confidence in the period before the budget and higher payroll outlays for disappointing revenue and a 15% drop in six-month income.
Other pizza operators are also struggling. Another major chain announced the shutting of multiple locations a last month, after the company behind its UK venues entered insolvency.
Trying to keep up with customer preferences towards balanced diets, Domino's has introduced reduced-calorie options, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 calories as well as plant-based and gluten-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has 2,311 calories. A family cheese pizza has over 2,100, while a small has 909 kcal.
Frampton has been with Domino's since 2021, and had a background at the gaming group a well-known operator. It is believed that she prefers not to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.
She said: “Our team has a number of active expansion and operational projects that we will be concentrating on implementing at speed.”
She said these included ongoing development on the organization's supply chain and new item creation, and its loyalty scheme.
Domino's is also lacking a permanent finance director until 16 March, when a new appointee joins from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. Until then, Richard Snow is acting financial officer.
Lena Hoffmann is a seasoned journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that matter, specializing in German current affairs and digital media trends.
