SEATTLE - Starbucks has taken the number three spot in restaurant chain sales, pushing Burger King and Wendy??s from the top three for the first time in years, USA Today reports.

McDonald??s held onto the number one slot, followed by Subway, according to Technomic??s America??s top 500 restaurant chains in total 2010 U.S. sales. The upset has surprised many, given that for decades, McDonald??s, Burger King and Wendy??s ruled the nation as the top three restaurant chains.

"Starbucks keeps gaining and gaining," said Ron Paul, Technomic president. "Carrying a Starbucks cup in your hand says something about you as a person."

Despite its recent price hikes because of higher prices for coffee beans and milk, "Starbucks has become the default cup of coffee for most people," said Bryant Simon, author of Everything but the Coffee: Learning About America.

"Starbucks has been one of the strongest growth stories in all of retail over the past 20 years," added Sharon Zackfia, a William Blair & Co. analyst.

Sandra Stark, vice president of food at Starbucks, said the company continues to keep an eye on what consumers mean by "healthy." For example, nowadays, it??s using only fresh, natural ingredients in foods. In 2009, Starbucks took out all artificial ingredients in its food.