🔗 Share this article Pizza Market Saturation? Domino's Leader Departs Following Shift Towards Fried Chicken. A head of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the United Kingdom might have hit maximum pizza demand while diversifying the chain into fried chicken has been ousted after disagreements with its board. Executive Shake-Up The former CEO is leaving after only 24 months in charge, and will be succeeded on an acting basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while the pizza giant searches for a permanent CEO. Rennie, who served at Domino's for over 20 years, had aimed to shift Britain's leading pizza takeaway chain towards poultry-based products, remarking in a recent interview there was not “massive growth” left in the British pizza industry. He noted poultry was the quickest rising food category in the international market. Governance Friction It is understood that there was disagreement between Rennie and the governance team over his approach and direction, although the company's announcement said he was leaving “by mutual agreement”. New Product Launch In September, the chain launched its chicken-focused product line – which the former chief called a “significant new phase” for the group – and is testing it in select stores in the north-west of England and the province. While the business is still going to roll it out across its nearly 1,400 branches in 2026 as scheduled, it considers chicken products as complementary to its core pizza business. Leadership Comment Bull, the Domino's chair, stated: “The board believes that there are a series of prospects to boost expansion and profitability in the main pizza segment. We are prioritizing finding the right chief executive to oversee the careful implementation of that development approach.” Market Difficulties In the latest update, Domino's, which has 13 million customers in the British Isles, said transactions fell by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In August, it cautioned that the quick-service industry had “grown more challenging” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the budget and rising wage costs for below-target performance and a significant fall in interim earnings. Rival chains are also experiencing difficulties. Pizza Hut announced the closure of 68 restaurants a recently, after the firm behind its UK venues entered insolvency. Health Initiatives Adapting to consumer trends towards healthier eating, the company has introduced lower-calorie options, such as its thin-crust selection of pizzas below 400 kcals as well as meat-free and allergy-friendly options. A family-sized pepperoni has 2,311 kcals. A large cheese and tomato pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 calories. Interim Management The interim chief has been with Domino's since the recent past, and had a background at the gaming group William Hill. It is believed that she is not seeking to take on the top job permanently. Frampton stated: “The company has a number of ongoing expansion and operational projects that we will be dedicated to implementing at pace.” She added these involved ongoing development on the company's supply chain and menu innovation, and its rewards program. The pizza chain is also without a permanent finance director until March 16, when a new appointee joins from the drinks company C&C Group. Until then, Snow serves as temporary CFO.