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The boss of the UK's Domino's Pizza chain who suggested the UK might have hit peak pizza while expanding the franchise into fried chicken has been replaced after tensions with its board.

Executive Change

The former CEO is departing after just two years in charge, and will be succeeded on an temporary basis by the organization's chief operating officer, Frampton, while the pizza giant looks for a new leader.

Rennie, who served at the company for a substantial period, had attempted to pivot Britain's largest pizza delivery company towards poultry-based products, commenting earlier this month there was not “significant expansion” left in the pizza sector in the UK. He noted chicken was the fastest-growing protein in the international market.

Governance Friction

Reports indicate that there was disagreement between Rennie and the governance team over his focus and direction, although the company's release said he was stepping down “as a joint decision”.

New Brand Introduction

In the autumn, the chain introduced its chicken-focused offering – which Rennie described as a “significant new phase” for the organization – and is trialling it in over 200 locations in the north-west of England and Northern Ireland.

While the company is still planning to expand it across its nearly 1,400 branches in the coming year as intended, it considers fried chicken as a supplement for its main pizza offerings.

Board Statement

Ian Bull, the company chairman, stated: “Directors think that there are a range of possibilities to drive further growth and profitability in Domino's core business. We are focused on selecting the suitable leader to oversee the careful implementation of that growth strategy.”

Market Difficulties

Earlier this month, the pizza delivery giant, which has 13 million customers in the UK and Ireland, said sales dipped by 1.5 percent in the latest quarter. In August, it alerted that the quick-service industry had “become tougher” as it blamed reduced spending in the period before the budget and increasing labor expenses for below-target performance and a 15 percent decline in half-year profits.

Other pizza operators are also facing challenges. Another major chain revealed the closure of 68 restaurants a recently, after the company behind its UK venues entered insolvency.

Wellness Initiatives

Responding to consumer trends towards balanced diets, Domino's has launched lower-calorie items, such as its Thin & Crispy selection of bakes below 400 kcal as well as plant-based and wheat-free pizzas. A big pepperoni bake has over 2,300 kcal. A family cheese pizza has 2,171 kcal, while a individual has 909 calories.

Acting Management

Frampton has been with the company since the recent past, and was formerly with the betting firm a well-known operator. It is believed that she does not want to take on the CEO position on a full-time basis.

She said: “Our team has a number of active growth and efficiency programs that we will be focused on executing at a rapid rate.”

She added these included further work on the organization's procurement system and menu innovation, and its customer retention initiative.

Domino's is also lacking a full-time CFO until March 16, when Andy Andrea comes aboard from the Irish cider and beer maker C&C Group. Until then, Richard Snow is interim finance chief.