Using the soft-serve machines well takes practice. It is TCBY policy that all products be weighed or measured before sale. In addition to serving the right amount, it takes practice to become effective at the swirling motion used to make the product look appealing.
Ben Caswell, an assistant manager at the Thornebrooke location of TCBY in Gainesville, Fla., said holding the cup that the yogurt is going to be placed in the left hand while rolling the wrist in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion is best. He advises the cup be held relatively close to the dispenser.
Caswell said that the most popular flavors are the three required ones: Chocolate, Golden Vanilla, and White Chocolate Mousse. He added that Peanut Butter and Dulce de Leche are also popular flavors.
He also said that for machine maintenance, it is important to keep a positive attitude.
"Don't assume it's not fixable," he said.
If the machine doesn't behave normally, it is best to put the machine on wash or turn it off for a while because the usual problem is that something has frozen that shouldn't be in the system, whether it be a piece of old product that didn't get properly removed during cleaning or a piece of ice that has somehow frozen in the machine, allowing it to soften and a bit of pressure will likely remove it and fix the problem.
Another piece of advice he had was to create a vacume in the very front of the machine by placing a clean hand beneath the dispenser and pulling the lever down for that dispenser to create a suction that may break loose any stubborn yogurt that may not want to come out.