LOGAN, Utah — When Macey’s closed its 400 North supermarket in 2019, the giant American flag flown in the store’s parking lot every day also went away. Now it’s back. Who can we thank for this?

You can thank In-N-Out Burger. Although the popular fast-food chain doesn’t typically fly supersized American flags at its outlets — as Macey’s stores have for years — the company decided to do so in this instance in response to a special request.

In an email to The Herald Journal, In-N-Out’s chief operating officer, Denny Warnick, offered this explanation:

“While our Logan restaurant was under construction, we were contacted by a nearby resident. She let us know about the flag that once flew on the large flagpole near our location and kindly asked if we’d consider looking into flying the American flag once again. We were flattered that she thought of us and honored to be able to return the empty flagpole to its former glory.”

Warnick added, “We’re thankful to be a part of the wonderful community in Logan and for everyone who has made us feel so welcome.”

Flying and maintaining such a large flag is no small feat.

Although In-N-Out provided no further details about the flag at 4th North, The Herald Journal spoke to Macey’s a few years ago about the flags at its stores and learned that maintaining big versions of Old Glory is a big job.

For one, the 30- by 60-foot banners require a lot of maintenance. If you’ve ever walked near a Macey’s flag, you know how violently they can flutter and snap in the wind, and this leads to a lot of tears and fraying.

Macey’s uses an outside company, Colonial Flag of Sandy, Utah, to provide and maintain its flags. Colonial keeps two flags for each store, and these are rotated back and forth every 30 days for maintenance. The exchange process is carried out carefully by two employees to prevent the flags from touching the ground, which would be a breach of flag etiquette.

The Macey’s flags, which are hoisted onto a 120-foot pole, are the largest used for regular outdoor display by Colonial’s 410 rotating-flag customers.

Not everyone has been a fan of the large Macey’s flags. In 1993, a member of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission opposed a permit for one of the flags at a store location, arguing it was a case of “crass commercialism of a patriotic icon.” The permit was granted over the commissioner’s objections, and he lost an appeal to the city’s Board of Adjustments, according to an article in the Deseret News.

The large flag pole on 4th North was the second one left behind by Macey’s in Logan. Before moving to Providence in 2007, the original Logan Macey’s store near the “Y” intersection also flew a 30-by-60 flag. The pole at that location sat abandoned for some time after the move but now features a much smaller American flag.