CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – It’s no secret that a premium brand perception pays off in the limited-service industry. QSR Magazine has reported on the newly released mid-year BrandIndex rankings from YouGov, a consumer perception research service, showing that sandwich chains Subway and Panera Bread reign supreme in terms of positive brand buzz.

YouGov calculates the ratings by asking people if they’ve heard anything positive or negative about the brands in question.

Subway has long held the number one spot, but Panera is a newcomer to the top five, knocking out McDonald’s and KFC, which both enjoyed positive sentiment in 2013. Increasing positive consumer buzz around Panera may be due in part to the company’s community- and health-oriented branding.

According to the  QSR article, Wendy’s also made waves in the top five ranking this year (number three), as the only burger concept to make it on the list, followed by Pizza Hut and IHOP. Several brands, including Chipotle, Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A, saw statistically significant improvement this year over 2013.