Has Pizza Peaked? Domino's Chief Executive Exits After Shift Into Chicken.
A chief executive of Domino's Pizza Group who indicated the United Kingdom might have hit maximum pizza demand while broadening the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after disagreements with its governing body.
Executive Transition
Rennie is leaving after a brief tenure in the top role, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Nicola Frampton, while the pizza giant seeks a new leader.
The outgoing executive, who worked for Domino's for more than two decades, had aimed to shift the UK's biggest pizza delivery company towards chicken offerings, commenting earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He observed chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the world.
Board Disagreements
Sources suggest that there was disagreement between Rennie and the board over his approach and business vision, although the company's official statement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”.
Recent Brand Launch
In September, Domino's introduced its poultry offering – which the former chief described as a “significant new phase” for the group – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the North West region and Northern Ireland.
While the firm is still intending to launch it across its extensive network in 2026 as scheduled, it regards chicken products as an addition to its main pizza offerings.
Leadership Statement
The Domino's chair, the company chairman, stated: “We are confident that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and value creation in Domino's core business. We are prioritizing finding the right chief executive to oversee the systematic rollout of that growth strategy.”
Industry Difficulties
Recently, Domino's, which has a substantial customer base in the British Isles, said sales dipped by 1.5% in the Q3. In August, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it attributed reduced spending in the run-up to the government announcement and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a 15% drop in interim earnings.
Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Pizza Hut disclosed the closing of dozens of outlets a month ago, after the company behind its British operations entered insolvency.
Wellness Initiatives
Responding to consumer trends towards healthier eating, Domino's has launched light products, such as its light base range of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and allergy-friendly options. A large pepperoni pizza has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has under 1,000 calories.
Acting Management
The interim chief has been with Domino's since 2021, and previously worked for the gaming group a well-known operator. It is understood that she does not want to take on the top job long-term.
She said: “We have a number of current expansion and performance initiatives that we will be concentrating on carrying out at speed.”
She said these comprised additional efforts on the organization's supply chain and product development, and its rewards program.
The pizza chain is also without a permanent finance director until the spring, when Andrea comes aboard from the beverage producer C&C Group. In the meantime, Snow acts as temporary CFO.