At first glance, Gordon Ramsay's restaurants may appear worlds away from what Business Insider's Erin McDowell has come to expect at the casual-dining chains that she frequents as a food reporter, such as Applebee's or Chili's. The interiors are more polished. The food is more elevated. The prices are a whole lot higher. Still, as she dined her way through Ramsay's restaurants, a through line emerged. At both casual-dining chains and chef-branded spots like Hell's Kitchen, McDowell wondered how much she was really paying for the food, and how much for the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect from her dining experience. Beneath the luxe lighting and famous name, celebrity-chef restaurants operate on the same principle that keeps casual chains packed night after night: familiarity. Read more about the playbook that both celebrity-chef restaurants and Applebee's use at the link in our bio. Story by Erin McDowell (Credit: Getty Images; Tyler Le/Business Insider) #applebees #cel...